


All the King's Horses

by ValkyrieRae



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-10-08 08:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10382472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieRae/pseuds/ValkyrieRae
Summary: After a battle that renders members of Voltron in critical condition, Lance refuses to believe that Keith wont wake up. He knows he will because Keith promised that he'd be with him forever. And Keith wouldn't break a promise, right?I'm not sure if this counts as a song fic, but when I heard this song I knew I had to write some Klance.Song is  Karmina - All the King's Horses





	

**Author's Note:**

> I highly recommend that you listen to Karmina - All the King's Horses before/while you read this.

The last thing Lance remembers is reaching for Keith. That was where his memory had paused, so it only made sense that the first thing he does when he falls out of the cryopod is to yell his name. “Keith!” He breathed out as he lunged forward. Hunk caught his weak body quickly, ready for him.

“Easy there, Lance. You need to take it slow for a tic. Keith is resting, so let's get some food in you.” Shiro said as he helped Hunk stand Lance up. Lance nodded, his energy far from returned. If Shiro said Keith was ok, then Keith was ok.

He sat silently while he ate his food goo, a sure sign that Lance wasn’t all back yet. After a moment of anxious silence, he took a deep breath and looked up.

“Alright you guys, what happened? Did we win?” He pulled the blanket around his shoulders closer, unsure of the answer. Pidge was the first to answer, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Not really, no. Voltron got it’s butt-kicked. Three of our members were sent to the cryopods, and the other two still got banged up.” Pidge paused, gesturing to their own bruises and Hunks fading black eye. “Shiro only had to spend a day in the pod...But you were in there for five.”

“Five days? Has it really been that long?” Lance asked, rubbing at his head. “But I wasn’t even that injured. Didn’t I just pass out?” He asked, confused. He didn't remember any pain, just Keith.

“Lance, you were shot in the back. It went right through you...We were so scared you wouldn’t make it…” Hunk said, sniffling. He knew it wasn’t the time for him to be emotional, that would come later. Lance looked surprised and pulled up his shirt, showing a hand sized scar in the middle of his torso. Wordlessly and wide eyed, he put his shirt back down.

“Okay, how about Keith? Is he ok?” The faces made amongst his teammates caused a rock to fall in his stomach. “Shiro? You said he was resting. That means he’s ok. Right?” Panic started to fill his heart as his leader’s face fell.

“Allura isn’t sure the cryopods will help...But he’s in one, Lance.” Shiro’s words only made his panic worse. He stood up quickly, almost falling back down again. “Lance you still need to get your strength back.” Shiro protested as he moved to help him.

“No, Shiro. I need to see Keith.” He snapped back, daring his leader to try to stop him. Shiro wasn’t stupid, though. He knew better than to try to keep someone away from the person they love. So he simply nodded and stepped back, surrendering. “Thanks.” Lance mumbled as he slowly made his way back to the pods.

“Should we go with him?” Pidge asked as they stood up, worried. Shiro simply shook his head.

“No, Lance needs time. We’ll check on him around dinner...For now, let him be.” Lance smiled, grateful that he’d have a chance to be alone.

He wasn’t ready for the sight in front of him. Keith didn’t look peaceful or like he was sleeping. He looked...gone. Lance shook his head quickly, not even letting himself think that. Stepping closer, he could see Keith’s wounds...even five days of the cryopod should have healed those, but they still looked fresh. His heart caught in his throat, nearly choking him. ‘No, Keith will be fine. The cryopod is just taking forever.’ Lance chanted to himself as he sank next to the pod. “Shiro said he was going to be fine.” He whimpered as he pulled his knees to his chest, biting back tears.

 _All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_  
_Couldn’t put me back together again_

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Lance woke up in his room with a start. He threw off his blankets and quickly went back to the cryopods. Keith was still there, looking the same as he had been from the past few weeks. The Blue paladin smiled softly and sat next to the pod. “Hey there, Keith.” He breathed as he leaned against the softly humming metal. “The team is starting to get worried about you..and so am I.” He gently rubbed his stubbled cheek, sighing. “But take your time. I know you need to heal...So I’ll just be here and wait for ya, ok? I promised I’d wait for you..” Lance mumbled saldy. He wasn’t sure when he had started to talk to the pod, but it seemed to help him cope.

 _All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_  
_Couldn’t put me back together again_

“Lance? Can I talk to you for a moment.” Shiro said softly, shaking Lance from his thoughts.

“Sure Shiro. Did Allura finally fix the cryopod Keith’s in?” Lance asked, hopeful.

“About that…” Lance frowned at Shiro’s pitiful stare. “Allura said….that the cryopods can’t bring back the dead.”

“Obviously. But that’s not what we’re talking about, Shiro. Keith’s pod. Can she fix it? Or Coran?” Lance said firmly, meeting Shiro’s look.

“Lance….There’s nothing wrong with his pod. He’s-” Lance cut him off quickly.

“Don’t you dare say it. You know he isn’t. He’s just...taking his time. The pod is slow.” Lance said adamantly as he stood up. “Keith is going to wake up. He promised!” Lance ignored the hot tears that started to roll down his gaunt cheeks.

“You’re right. I’m sorry Lance. I’ll ask Allura to check again.” He said softly, trying to diffuse the situation. Shiro tried to keep the pity out of his face as he walked away, but he was sure Lance saw anyway.

Once Shiro was gone, Lance collapsed. “You’re going to wake up. You promised me, Keith. You promised.” He cried as he slowly felt a piece of his heart break.

 _All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_  
_Couldn’t put me back together again_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
It had been two months since his first night out of the pod. And every night Lance would fall asleep next to Keith, and every morning he would wake up in his room. His dreams were the only thing that kept him sane, the only way he could really cope. While he slept, Keith was alive. He was with Lance, holding him close and promising that Lance would never be alone again. Lance felt warm in his dreams, he felt safe. He mostly dreamed of their first night that they kissed. Lance was cocky and scared while Keith was internally a mess, as always. But it had still been perfect. Lance blurted out how he hated how cute he was all the time and that Keith had no right to be so handsome...And then Keith had kissed him. It was soft at first, but still tender. Both of the paladins poured their hearts into the kiss, finally glad to express how they felt. 'Lance, I love you.' Keith had mumbled against his lips. 'I promise that I'll stay with you, no matter what.'

 _I knock the ice from my bones_  
_Try not to feel the cold_  
_Caught in the thought of that time_  
_When everything was fine, everything was mine_  
_Everything was fine, everything was mine_

 

Lance stared at himself in the mirror. The troubled man had long forgotten his skincare routine, including shaving. He quickly splashed water on his face before going to the pod room. He had a date with Keith to keep.

“Lance, we can explain.” Hunk said as soon as he saw him enter the room.

“Explain what?” Lance said, cautiously. He peeked around Hunk and froze. The cryopod was empty. “Keith woke up? He woke up! See?! I told you he would!” Lance said, smiling widely. He didn’t understand why the others weren’t smiling with him. “So where is he? Where’s Keith?”

“He...He hasn’t woken up, Lance.” Shiro said softly as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

“What do you mean? Of course he woke up. Why else would his pod be empty, Shiro?” Lance argued, refusing to believe him.

“Lance, this needs to stop.” Pidge said, their own voice wavering. “Keith is dead.”

 _All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_  
_Couldn’t put me back together again_

“No, that’s not true. He promised he’d be fine.” Lance said firmly. He looked to Hunk, hoping that he would back him up, but his friend looked away tearfully. “Hunk? Tell me that Keith walked out of that pod. Tell me that you put him in a new pod.Tell me he’s ok.” Lance’s voice cracked painfully, causing Hunk to cry harder.

“I’m sorry Lance...I..I can’t lie to you...He’s gone.” Hunk choked out, not able to look his best friend in the eye.

_But is it still a home when you're all alone_   
_Is it still a home when you're all alone_   
_All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_   
_Couldn’t put me back together again_

“No. Nononono. No!” Lance screamed, his heartbreaking further. “You told me he would be ok! You told me that he would wake up!” The blue paladin yelled at Shiro, causing him to flinch. Lance choked back sobs as he looked to the empty pod. “Bring him back..Put him back in..We can save him.” He pleaded in a broken voice. “Please..” Pidge was the first to hug Lance, then quickly Hunk. Lance collapsed in his friend’s arms, his heart wrenching sobs bringing even Shiro to tears.

“I’m sorry Lance...I failed you both.” Shiro said softly as he reached out to comfort him. Lance jerked away from his touch, not even bothering to reply. “I’m so sorry.”

“He promised he’d come back to me.” Lance sobbed harder as he felt himself fall apart.

_All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_  
_Couldn’t put me back together again_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been three months since Keith, and the light in his eyes, had left the Voltron team. Lance didn’t leave Keith’s old room, and there was no way to get him to come out either. He slept curled up in his jacket with his eyes swollen from the tears. He didn’t leave to get food if he was hungry, but he would eat the food that Pidge and Hunk brought him. After the first couple of weeks, Shiro noticed that if he had brought food to the door, Lance wouldn’t touch it. So he stopped bringing it.

Losing a member of Voltron was devastating, but no one pretended to feel what Lance was feeling. It broke their hearts every time they walked passed the door and heard sobbing. Eventually, Pidge got to the point that they’d start crying out of sympathy when they walked passed.

The Blue paladin was now a hollow husk of the bright and joyful person he used to be, and they all knew that there was no way he could go back to normal. Not without Keith. And Lance wasn’t going to live without Keith. So Lance went to sleep that night, curled up in Keith's red jacket and an empty bottle on the floor. A smile graced Lance's lips once more, since he knew he would never have to wake up in a world where Keith was gone again. 

 _All the King’s horses and all the King’s men_  
_Couldn’t put Lance back together again_


End file.
